Emcee's Confidence
by Lauren Wagner
Summary: What Sally and Emcee do after the play ends.


"Meine Damen und Herren. Mesdames et Messieurs. Ladies and Gentlemen. Where are your troubles now? Forgotten? I told you so. We have no troubles here! Here life is beautiful, the girls are beautiful- Even the orchestra is beautiful!"  
  
He said these words every night, and yet each time Emcee made them seem new and heartfelt. Each flourish of his hand ending with a polite bow, as the people began to leave the Cabaret. When the last person was gone, Emcee gave a soft sigh and he rested a hand on his brow. He closed his heavily made up eyes.  
  
"Emcee?"  
  
Opening his eyes, Emcee turned and saw Sally worriedly looking at him. He gave a soft laugh, resting his hand on his slender hip.  
  
"I could use a drink," he said. " Care to join me?" Without waiting for a response he walked to the bar and began to make himself a whiskey sour, his bony, and chalk white fingers moving with familiar ease. He made a Bloody Mary and set it down without even looking up; he knew that Sally was watching him from her stool.  
  
"Do you think I did a good thing coming back to the Cabaret?" Sally asked the question as she seemed to look into her drink.  
  
Emcee looked up with a lop sided smile. He took a sip from his drink looking as if he was thinking for an answer.  
  
"Do you think you did the right thing, liebchen?" he asked, sliding on top of the counter. One leg swung gently back and forth as he held the other up to support his arm.  
  
Sally kept quiet.  
  
Emcee chuckled softly and he finished his drink, setting the glass down in the sink. He took out a pack of cigarettes and he lit one, slipping it easily between his lipstick covered lips. He took a deep drag and he let the smoke out slowly, making a cloud that slowly began to float away.  
  
He looked back over at her and he saw how depressed she looked and it made his heart hurt a little.  
  
"Liebchen, the Kit Kat Klub would not have been the same without you coming back," he offered, his voice growing gentle.  
  
Sally looked up at Emcee with slight surprise, her eyebrows raised in a questioning manner. A soft giggle escaped from Emcee as he finished his cigarette, looking at the ground for a moment. He flicked the butt into the ashtray beside him, his gaze still on the ground. His hand went with something akin to grace into his pocket, and he took out a golden chain. He looked at it for a moment in his cupped hand before he placed it on the counter. He slid it over to Sally, keeping his hand over it for a moment, as if in hesitation. When he removed his hand he revealed that the gold chain had a small symbol on it; a Star of David.  
  
Sally looked at the chain for a moment in surprise before she gently picked it up, and looked at it to make sure it really was what she thought it was. When she looked up at Emcee, she saw that he was now pouring himself a shot of straight Vodka. She watched him down it without so much as a wince and when he turned his head to hers their eyes locked for what seemed like ages.  
  
Sally broke the contact looking back down at the golden chain and her eyes suddenly grew wide as she thought about that one song Emcee performed with Frenchie; the one called " If You Could See Her."  
  
"Oh that gorilla outfit!" she said softly looking at him with hurt eyes. Emcee nodded slightly and he turned his attention to the stack of liquor bottles beside him as if they truly fascinated him.  
  
"But why did you..?"  
  
"The show must go on, liebchen," he said, still gazing at the bottles. "Besides, the Gestapo will not think the Cabaret is hiding any Jews if we have such performances, ja?" He turned to look at her and his eyes were not those of someone suffering greatly inside; they were the eyes of the Master of Ceremonies at the Cabaret who always laughed and made crude jokes along with his crude songs and dances. He held out one slender hand slowly to her and it took Sally a minute to realize what he meant.  
  
Blushing slightly, she took the chain and placed it into his hand. Looking at him quietly, she tilted her head slightly and she suddenly found that his face was almost feminine with such soft features. It was, thin, like the rest of his body, and she thought for a moment that perhaps he starved himself to look this way. Emcee looked down at his chain for a moment, and he quietly slipped it back into his pocket. With that done, he lit another cigarette, taking in a deeper drag than before as he closed his eyes.  
  
He lifted his head, and he held in the smoke his eyes still closed. Very slowly, he parted his lips and the smoke came billowing out. He opened his eyes, and he watched the smoke swirl in a nacreous stream around his head. He cocked an eyebrow slightly at this long silence, turning his head slightly as he took a shorter puff. He looked Sally in the eyes.  
  
"Does my being Jewish change so much?" he asked.  
  
"No, of course not," Sally said, shaking her head looking at him confusedly.  
  
"You are looking at me differently, liebling," Emcee pointed out- looking away and taking another long drag.  
  
"Well, it's just."  
  
"Ja?"  
  
"They say that the Jews are rich, and if that's true."  
  
Emcee burst into laughter mid-drag and he shook his head. His shoulders trembled as he pursed his lips slightly to stop himself from getting any louder.  
  
"Then you're not one of those kinds?" Sally asked.  
  
"If all Jews are rich then I am part of the wrong group of Jews! I am not this thin by choice, liebe."  
  
Sally looked at the counter, her cheeks redder than before, "I'm sorry if I've upset you," she said.  
  
"Not at all," Emcee said, flicking the cigarette butt away. He leaned over and patted her hand lightly looking into her eyes, "It made me laugh for once to hear someone say that about Jews."  
  
"But are you going to keep performing that song?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"I told you before, liebe. The only way to keep these Gestapo away from our Cabaret is to act as Anti-Jew as we possibly can! Besides, I'm sure I'm the only Jew in the company."  
  
"But what if they get a list of all the Jews in Berlin?"  
  
Emcee blinked and raised his eyebrows slightly, looking away for a moment. He shifted and settled both feet on the ground, leaning against the counter with both hands. He thought for a moment and he then shrugged, turning back to Sally with his usual devil-may-care smile.  
  
"I never thought of that before," he admitted. "I suppose I would have to make Herman the new Emcee and quit the Cabaret before the Gestapo went after me."  
  
"Why would you quit the Cabaret?"  
  
"I wouldn't want this place to be shut down because of me, and what about you? The Gestapo wouldn't exactly let you go just because you're not Jewish you know."  
  
"You would do anything for the Cabaret, wouldn't you?" Emcee looked around at the empty tables and the performing floor with a fond smile before turning back to her.  
  
"I am the Master of Ceremonies, liebe. I take that very seriously, and besides," he said, "you are all like family to me."  
  
"You mean like how you're like a father to Helga?" Sally said with a faint smile.  
  
"Exactly," Emcee chuckled, straightening up.  
  
"I don't think I'd be able to do the things you're willing to do."  
  
"Don't start getting mushy on me, liebchen. The patrons will still want to see the toast of Mayfair as saucy and sexy as ever!" Emcee said with a gentle smile that touched his eyes for once.  
  
He turned to go to his dressing room, but before he went he rested a hand on her arm lightly and he looked her in the eyes.  
  
"It will be all right in the end, liebe."  
  
"I suppose so," she admitted.  
  
"That's the spirit!" He said with a laugh. "Now come on, if you need a room for the night mine could do just fine!" Sally smiled and she drained her drink swiftly, standing up and smoothing out her sparkling black dress before she looked back up at Emcee.  
  
"I would love to stay the night." Emcee smiled and he turned, walking to his dressing room. Sally followed behind him, slowly starting to take off her make-up. The Emcee's dressing room was neat, for someone with a raunchy persona on stage like he did. He sat down in front of the large mirror and he took out some cloth, slowly beginning to take off the blush and lipstick.  
  
"It will only take me a moment, liebling," he said, looking over his shoulder for a moment.  
  
"All right, " Sally nodded, looking around as she took a seat. Emcee's room had his costumes all folded neatly and resting in the closet. On his mirror there were a few pictures of smiling people taped or stuck into the sides. A full ashtray rested just beside her chair and she saw that Emcee's waste basket was full of papers and pamphlets. Curious, she took one out, and she shook her head faintly as she read it. The pamphlet was an explanation on how the Jews were taking money and jobs from the good, Christian, citizens of Germany. When she looked into the waste basket she saw that the entire thing was filled with such papers, including a few with the Swastika and the face of Hitler.  
  
A polite cough stirred Sally from her thoughts, and she looked up in surprise as if she had been caught doing something bad. Emcee stood, his thin and fraying coat over one arm, looking at Sally with a resigned expression in his eyes. Most of the make-up was gone, giving his face a warmer look, but his eyeliner and mascara still clung around his eyes. He still wore the suspenders, but he had slipped an undershirt under them to look a little decent for their walk to his apartment. He smiled faintly and, taking the pamphlet from her, he placed it back into the waste basket.  
  
"Such things belong in there and nowhere else," he said, softly looking up at her. "Now come on, this eyeliner and mascara is starting to hurt my eyes." Sally gave a faint smile, nodded, and they headed into the cool night air. Emcee looked around for a moment and he headed right, down the dirtier streets of Berlin, where the buildings looked too old to be able to stand against even the slightest of winds. Sally had begun to think that perhaps they had gone the wrong way, when Emcee started to climb up the steps to one of the buildings that looked slightly better than the rest.  
  
Inside, the main floor looked deserted by all life except for the few rats that scurried across the floor- some daring to stop right before the two as he led her to the stairs. The stairs creaked, and a few times even broke under their feet. Sally was appalled at the state of this place, but Emcee seemed not to care as one of his feet got stuck in a broken board and with a laugh he pulled it out with a loud splintering crack. He looked over his shoulder as he reached his floor, to make sure she was all right, and he shrugged a bit with his hands on his hips as he waited for her to reach him. When she finally ascended the final step, he led her down the hall to his door, took out a key and unlocked it. He cracked the door open and he stepped back for her to enter first, bowing and holding out a hand with a smile.  
  
When Sally stepped into the room, all she saw was dark shapes and a few things scattered on the floor. When Emcee flicked on the light her eyebrows raised up in surprise. Emcee's apartment was much nicer than what one would expect it to be considering what the rest of the building looked like. It was still messy with pots on the ground to catch the drips of water that leaked from above and there were large cracks all along the walls like spider webs. The ice box was old and barely worked; as was evident from the horrid stench of spoiled food that came from inside. The stove was old and covered in filth, one pan still on the burner where an old half eaten sausage rested in grease. A small TV rested on a broken table across from where an ancient sofa slumped, its stuffing coming out in large clumps.  
  
"You can sleep in the bedroom," Emcee offered, "And I will sleep on the sofa tonight."  
  
"Are you sure?" Sally asked with a smile.  
  
"Of course I'm sure." Emcee looked at her. "Why?"  
  
"I never thought that Emcee would pass up the opportunity to go to bed with a lovely lady," Sally said. Emcee laughed and he shook his head a bit as he stood ready to go to the Water Closet and wash his face better.  
  
"Maybe tomorrow we can play, liebe," he said with a wink. "I'm simply too tired to do it tonight!"  
  
"All right then," Sally laughed, "Good night."  
  
"Guten nacht, mein liebling," He watched her step into his bedroom. He shook his head a bit and he went into the Water Closet flicking the light switch. It was the only room in his apartment that looked like it fit in such a nasty looking place. The toilet was tilted to one side and the sink had exposed pipes that spewed out water spurts when they weren't clogged up.  
  
Emcee took out a large piece of cloth and he jammed it as much as he could down the drain to keep the water in the sink and he used a wrench to turn the knob, watching as water poured down and stayed, the cloth working as a stopper. When the sink was filled to the top, he turned the knob nine times before the water finally stopped. He dipped his hands into the water, lightly splashing his face and working on removing his eye make-up.  
  
He spit out some water and he lifted his head, looking at his reflection through the cracked mirror. He rubbed away a few remnants of eyeliner and he bent down, performing one last splash against his face. When he was finished, he took out the piece of cloth slowly to reduce the amount of water all ready starting to leak from the pipes. He rolled his eyes slightly and he left the room, heading for the sofa laying down. He'd almost slipped to sleep right then and there when, he remembered that he was still wearing his shoes. With a groan, Emcee raised one leg and he pulled off one shoe and then the other, throwing them into the corner with a dull thud. Emcee stayed in a slight sit up for a moment, looking at where the shoes had landed, before he laid back down and rested one arm over his eyes.  
  
When Sally entered Emcee's room, she found that it was like what one would find in a homeless shelter. An old mattress lay on the floor with a thin blanket over it and a few under stuffed pillows lay beside it. Looking the bed over, Sally saw that the mattress was stained with liquor and the remnants of a night's fun. Lifting up the blanket, Sally laid down. Used to using these kinds of mattresses before, she fell asleep with ease.  
  
The next morning Sally was woken by Emcee's gentle voice singing and the smell of sausages cooking. Yawning, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking around slightly confused as to where she was. She gave a snort when she finally thought back to last night and she got up stretching before she opened the door and stepped outside.  
  
Emcee was at the stove; pan in one hand, and an unlit cigarette in the other. He was cooking the half eaten sausage along with one that seemed to be more algae than meat. Finished with the cooking, he slipped the sausages onto a single plate resting it on the broken table beside the TV; all the while singing his solo, " I Don't Care Much", with a lot more feeling than he had at the Cabaret.  
  
"iI don't care much, go or stay. I don't care very much, either way. Hearts grow hard on a windy street. Lips grow cold with the rent to meet. So if you kiss me, if we touch, warning's fair, I don't care very much. I don't care much, go or stay. I don't care very much either way. Words sound false when your coat's too thin. Feet don't waltz when the roof caves in. So if you kiss me, if we touch, warning's fair, I don't care very much./i"  
  
"Why don't you sing like that in the show?"  
  
With a gasp, Emcee dropped the cigarette he was lighting over the burner, burning his fingers in the process.  
  
"Ach, verdammt!" He cried, backing away, holding his hand.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry! Here, let me see that." She held out her hands and gently took Emcee's burnt one, turning it over, and looked at the burned fingers. Emcee looked down at his hand in hers, and he lifted his eyes slightly to look at her face.  
  
"Does this hurt?" Sally lightly pinched one of his fingers, making Emcee take in a sharp breath between his teeth.  
  
"A little; especially when you pinch it," he said with a faint smile. He took his hand away from her, and he sat on the sofa, pointing to the sausages. "To be on the safe side; try the half eaten one, liebe," he warned.  
  
"What about your hand?"  
  
"It will be all right. This isn't the first time I've burned it lighting a cigarette." He took out two cigarettes, and held them out to her, "Try again?"  
  
She lit both cigarettes, handing one back to Emcee, as she looked down dubiously at the sausages.  
  
"Are you sure either one of them is edible?"  
  
"Well, I think so any way. The half eaten one was good when I first had it about; two weeks ago." Emcee shrugged, taking a slight puff. He reached over and picked up the green one, sniffing it lightly before taking a bite. He grimaced, and turned his head away, spitting the piece into the garbage.  
  
"I guess that's a no?" Sally laughed. Emcee got up and searched through one of his drawers, throwing away the rest of the green sausage. He found a few crumpled marks, and he turned to Sally with a shrug.  
  
"I think I have enough for us to go out for something to eat."  
  
"You don't have to you know."  
  
"Nein, let me treat you, mein liebchen!" Emcee insisted, opening the door.  
  
Emcee took Sally to a small diner, where they were able to eat something that hadn't been in the warm air for weeks. Afterwards, the two parted ways doing whatever it was they did before night fell and the Cabaret opened for business.  
  
When the Cabaret was open for business, Emcee watched from behind the curtain. He shook his head slightly, seeing that most of their patrons were now Nazi soldiers, with a few higher ranking officers and their dates. Oh well, the show had to go on, despite who their patrons were.  
  
As the show began, Emcee greeted the patrons with his usual spiel ending with a line dance from the girls. Sally performed her best during her song, " Mein Herr", and when she walked off stage, she was followed by cheers and clapping from the patrons. Some even whistled after her.  
  
As she headed for her dressing room, she heard angry shouts in German coming from Emcee's room. She walked up slowly and listened through the closed door. The shouting was getting angrier and angrier by the moment, the German words being spat back and forth becoming jumbled. After listening for a few moments, she finally realized who the other voice belonged to; it was Ernst Ludwig!  
  
Ludwig was shouting at Emcee quite loudly, considering he was shorter than Emcee by at least three feet. Sally could only make out a few words, but the ones she could make out were 'filthy', 'camp', and 'Jew'. A loud crash was heard, followed by a startled cry from Emcee. Sally was ready to open the door, when Ludwig swung it open. He glared darkly at Sally and shoved past her, walking out the back door, still muttering to himself in German.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Turning around, she saw Bobby and Lulu coming, all ready in costume for " Two Ladies."  
  
"I'm not sure, but you two should go and get ready. I'll see how Emcee is doing." Sally said.  
  
The two looked at each other for a moment, then nodded walking away.  
  
Watching them turn the corner, Sally entered the room, and she saw that it was in shambles from the fight. The chairs were smashed on the ground, the costumes were ripped up, and the great smashing noise was the vanity mirror, which lay in a thousand pieces.  
  
Emcee sat among the broken pieces, his head bowed, and his eyes closed, as he held his arm.  
  
"Emcee? What happened?" Sally asked, slowly walking up. Emcee opened his eyes slowly, and he turned to his head to look at her. The left side of his face was cut up and bleeding, along with his arm, which he held tightly.  
  
"He surprised me," he said softly, looking to the ground.  
  
"What were you two shouting about?" Sally asked, kneeling down.  
  
"Ludwig found out I was a Jew so; he did what any good Nazi would do; he threatened to send me to a camp if I did not leave this place." Emcee flinched slightly as Sally touched his cheek. He stood up shakily, ignoring the pain in his arm and face.  
  
"You're not going to go out and perform like that are you?!" Emcee dipped a piece of cloth in a bowl of water, and he started to wash his wounds. He smiled seeing that the wounds would not show too much if covered up with enough make-up.  
  
"How many times have I said this before? The show must go on despite a few.little bumps here and there."  
  
"Ludwig isn't exactly a little bump! He could really get you sent away, Emcee!" Sally insisted, taking the cloth and dabbing at his wounds. Gently, Emcee took her chin in his fingers, and he tilted her head up to look into his eyes.  
  
"I told you such things would happen, liebchen. It just all depends on how you react to the news," he said, smiling his usual smile.  
  
"Are you going to quit the Cabaret?"  
  
"I have to, but not until the end of the week. We can prepare for my going away party!" he laughed.  
  
"Emcee."  
  
"Ach, look at how time flies! The good patrons are most likely getting restless! We'll talk about this after the show." Emcee said, standing up. He left Sally alone, joining Bobby and Lulu for their performance.  
  
Sally stood in his destroyed room, looking around at the mess. Tilting her head to one side, she slowly walked up to the destroyed glass, and she bent down picking up a piece of torn paper. Looking at it, she saw that it had once been a picture of a smiling man, with eyes like Emcee's. Shaking her head, Sally let the paper fall back to the ground, and she left the room.  
  
After the show Sally, Lulu, and Victor stayed after to help Emcee clean up the room. Lulu collected all of the torn pictures, and was about to ask Emcee who the people were, when he took them swiftly, and stuffed them into the garbage without another word about it. When the room was finally finished, Emcee thanked everyone, and told them that they should head home.  
  
Emcee stood waiting in the room, until he heard the door shut behind Sally. Kneeling down, he went through the garbage, and he took out each torn picture grouping the pieces together. When he was finished, he slowly began to work them each like a puzzle, until each one was finished. Moving the waste basket away, he sat down in the middle of the pictures. He looked at each one, his eyes softening. He looked down at a picture of a man in his late fifties, his eyes matching Emcee's without the make-up. He rested a hand lightly on the man's face, looking at it for a moment, before he turned to the picture beside it. It was of a woman who looked about the same age as the man, her gray hair only having slight patches of black here and there. His gaze went back and forth between the two people, and his mascara slowly started to run.  
  
"Vater, mutter, helfen sie bitte mir," he whispered softly, bowing his head.  
  
The rest of the week was uneventful, as Sally began to go back to her routine of going to another man's room after each show, and Emcee made plans to make Herman the new Master of Ceremonies, and leave before Ludwig decided to carry out his threat against the Cabaret.  
  
On the last day of being the Master of Ceremonies; Emcee stayed back behind the curtain as Sally finished up singing " Cabaret". He closed his eyes slightly, and he opened them with a smile as she came in amidst the hoots and hollers from the men.  
  
"This is it." Sally said, resting a hand on his arm. Emcee patted her hand lightly, and he stepped out into the spot light, looking around slowly at the crowded tables. He took a moment to tighten the straps of his leather trench coat, and with a seductive wink to one of the lovelier patrons, he walked up to the mike.  
  
"Meine Damen und Herren. Mesdames et Messieurs. Ladies and Gentlemen. I am quite sure that all of your troubles have become forgotten by now, so I will not ask about them. If I may, I wish to announce a great change to the Kit Kat Klub. I, your faithful Master of Ceremonies, am stepping down and will no longer be seen here."  
  
Murmurs and soft protests came from the crowd, most of them coming from some of the younger women and men, who had been smitten by Emcee's charms. He held his hands up for silence, closing his eyes for a moment, before looking back at the crowd.  
  
"Please, it will be all right, mein lieblings! I have made sure that the one who takes over is fully able to do the job. Now when I say fully, I mean he is fully developed to take on the job!"  
  
Soft laughter rippled through the Cabaret, and Emcee let himself smile a bit. Turning back to the curtain, he held out one hand, and the spotlight shifted to where he pointed.  
  
The curtains parted, and Herman stepped out, dressed in a velvet red dress, wearing high heels studded with rhinestones. He smiled and walked up to the mike, as Emcee stepped back, and he began to address the crowd as the new Master of Ceremonies.  
  
Emcee walked out of the Cabaret without a word to anyone. He didn't notice Sally who walked behind him, until he climbed the stairs to his apartment building.  
  
"What is it, liebe?" he asked, looking at her with slight surprise.  
  
"You're not leaving Berlin right now, are you?" Sally asked.  
  
"You all ready know the answer to that."  
  
Sally looked at the ground for a moment, biting her lower lip, before she slowly looked back up at Emcee, who watched her in patient silence.  
  
"If you're leaving Berlin, then take me with you," she said. Emcee raised his eyebrows a bit in surprise, and he looked up at the stars for some help.  
  
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into, liebe," he warned, looking into her eyes seriously.  
  
"Yes, I do know what I'm getting myself into. Out of everyone in the Cabaret, it was your opinion that mattered most to me. Now that you're leaving Berlin; I don't want to stay there anymore and be ogled by those Nazi bastards anymore than I have to!" Sally insisted. Emcee laughed softly and he shook his head a bit.  
  
"Very well, mein liebling. You can come with me. But, when danger comes, I want you to leave me where ever we are, and run!" Emcee instructed seriously. Sally nodded, and Emcee opened the door to the building, heading for his room to pack up, with her help.  
  
When the two had finished packing, it was midnight. Emcee looked out the window for a moment, before he turned back to Sally.  
  
"It looks like we're stuck in Berlin until tomorrow afternoon," he said. "You can take the mattress again and." He was stopped as Sally leaned forward, and gently brushed her lips against his. For once in his life, Emcee was too stunned to do anything, despite all of his one night stands with women in the past. He pulled back a little, looking at Sally a little confused.  
  
Smiling, Sally rested her hands on Emcee's shoulders, slowly starting to undo the straps around his neck first. As Emcee opened his mouth to say something, she silenced him with another kiss, and she finished the last strap around his neck. Smiling she slid the easier ones off, looking him in the eyes. Taking his hand, she led him into the bedroom, and she shut the door for the night.  
  
Slowly, Emcee opened his eyes, and he was a little startled when he felt someone shift in his arms. He lifted his head slightly, giving the still sleeping Sally enough space to shift closer, resting her head on his chest. Blinking a few times, Emcee slowly thought back to last night, and he relaxed slightly. Closing his eyes, he rested his chin lightly on Sally's head, and he thought quietly to himself about last night. He and Sally had slept with hundreds of people before, but for some reason this one time together had been different than all the rest to Emcee. Sally shifted again, waking up in the process. She moved back a little, looking up at Emcee with a smile.  
  
"Guten morgen, liebchen." he said, smiling. She laughed softly and kissed him on the nose.  
  
"Good morning." Emcee sat up carefully, keeping one arm around her shoulders. He looked up at the cracked clock, the time was ten thirty.  
  
"We still have plenty of time before the train. What do you want to do, liebe?" he asked, removing his arm, and rubbing his hands together.  
  
"This time I'll treat you to breakfast." Sally offered. Smiling, she got up and dressed in a plain shirt and jeans. Emcee stayed on the mattress, watching her with his lop sided smile. Sally looked down at him, and she placed her hands on her hips.  
  
"Are you going to come, or are you just going to sit there?" she asked.  
  
"I was merely gazing upon your beauty, mein liebling." Emcee said shrugging, with a smile. He got up, and he slipped on a pair of pants and shirt. Smiling, he turned to Sally, and he locked one arm around hers.  
  
They headed to the diner, ignoring the blaring sirens and angry shouts as Gestapo raided the fruit shop, smashing windows, and setting it on fire when they found that the owner had fled Berlin earlier. Looking over at Sally, Emcee shook his head slightly, walking by without stopping, or taking a second glance.  
  
The diner's business was slow, with only a few people sitting at the tables, barely talking. They slid into a booth, sitting opposite from each other. The waitress walked up, and she wore a large pin with a Swastika on it. Emcee and Sally shared a look before ordering breakfast and two cups of coffee.  
  
"It looks like we're leaving just in time." Emcee said, lighting a cigarette. He took a long drag, and he let it out of the side of his mouth.  
  
"Where should we go?" Sally asked. Emcee took another drag, looking at the ceiling for a moment.  
  
"I have a feeling Paris would be out of the question soon enough." He looked down at Sally, smiling a bit. "America? Texas always told such perfectly marvelous stories about New York City around this time of year." Conversation stopped when the waitress came back, their steaming mugs in hand. Once she was gone, Emcee laughed softly, shaking his head.  
  
"I can't wait until we leave here and have the ability to talk freely without worrying about who hears us!" he said, sipping his coffee. Sally nodded, looking into her up for a moment. Emcee tilted his head slightly, watching her.  
  
"What's on your mind, liebchen?" he asked.  
  
"Emcee, what's your real name? I've always wondered about it, and now that we're going to be traveling together, I'd like to know it." Sally said, looking up at him. Emcee looked away, taking out the cigarette. The ashes fell onto the table, and he lightly brushed them away. He looked up at Sally, a slight smile coming to the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Sometimes, it is better to keep such things to one's self, liebe. There is less of a chance that the wrong person will learn it and use it against you!" he said. He chuckled softly, and he patted her hand lightly, seeing the disappointed look in her eyes. He sat back as the waitress came with their breakfast, and he started to eat, ending their conversation.  
  
After breakfast, Sally placed the marks on the table, as they got up and left the diner, Emcee waving slightly at a customer that he had once slept with a few months ago. They went back to the apartment, and Emcee took his leather bag with his belongings in it, handing the train tickets to Sally.  
  
Stepping outside, they got a cab to take them to where Sally's apartment building was, and it was much nicer than Emcee's was. He stood by the door, watching her as she packed up a single suitcase of all of her dresses and some valuables, leaving the rest to rot for all she cared. Once that was done, they walked down the sidewalk to the train station.  
  
"They're going to ask for passports you know." Sally pointed out. "I've got mine, but I don't think you'd be able to just give them yours since."  
  
"Victor has helped me with that little problem." Emcee said, winking.  
  
"How did he do that?" Emcee took out a leather passport from one pocket, and he held it out to her. Opening it, she saw a picture of him looking back at her. It said that his named was Josef Ernst; born in Bavaria as a Christian. She laughed softly giving him back the passport.  
  
"Let me guess; the name isn't your real one is it?" she asked.  
  
"Of course not." Emcee laughed. "If I had put my real name in it; then the Nazis would know I was lying since they seem to know who the Jews are by their real names. It wouldn't do us any good to piss them off, now would it?" He slipped the passport back into his pocket and he held out another to her.  
  
"What's this?" she asked, taking it and opening it. She found a picture of herself under the name Veronica Mills; born in Wales a Christian.  
  
"Your new identity until we reach America, liebe. Your name is too well known around here. Ludwig hates you almost as much as he hates me!" Emcee explained.  
  
The train station was packed when they reached it, and they were directed to wait in the lobby until their train arrived. The first train to show up was headed for Winzledorf, and as they watched customs officers checked each and every passenger's passports. Three people were caught with fake identifications and were arrested on the spot, and there was an old couple, who had been foolish enough to use their real ones, which said that they were Jews. Emcee looked over at Sally, and he took her hand, giving it a light squeeze as the couple were taken away, guns at their backs.  
  
When their train finally arrived, they got their bags and walked up to board the train, standing as the last people on the line.  
  
"Now stay close to me, liebe. When the customs officer asks for our passports, just give yours to him and don't say anything. Let me do all the talking, and we should be fine." Emcee whispered, as they moved forward. The customs officer walked up to them, he was the same one who had asked for Cliff's passport weeks ago.  
  
"Deutsche Grenzkontrolle. Ihren Pass, bitte." He said, holding out one hand. Emcee handed him the passports, and he read them quietly, looking up a little to make sure the pictures matched the people standing in front of him. He looked up and stared at Sally for a moment, he looked from the passport back to her, and he walked away telling them to stay where they were. Emcee looked over at Sally with raised eyebrows, and he watched as the customs officer went into a building.  
  
"I have a feeling he knows something about us." he said putting his bags down slowly. He looked over at Sally with a faint smile. "Do you remember what I told you to do if we ever got in trouble?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not running away and leaving you behind!" Sally protested. From the corner of his eye, Emcee saw some guards coming out with the customs officer, and the officer was pointing right at them.  
  
"You have to, liebe." He said simply, turning to her. "You run into the crowd and hide while I get them away from you! Do as I say for once!" he snapped, seeing her opening her mouth to argue with him about it further. Without another word, he dropped their bags and he started to run in clear view of the guards. The guards shouted for him to stop, and they started to give chase.  
  
Sally watched Emcee run for a moment, before she came out of it and she turned and ran into the crowd becoming lost. She still had the tickets in her pocket, and she was too scared to look back as she boarded the train swiftly.  
  
Emcee gritted his teeth, forcing himself to run as hard as he could. He took a chance and he looked over his shoulder once, seeing that one of the guards was drawing his gun and aiming at his back. He ran left, into an abandoned building, and he climbed the steps, hearing the door slam open just behind him. Panting softly, Emcee paused for a moment, and a shot rang out, splintering the wood near his left foot. Groaning softly, he reached the top step and he ran into the first room, cursing softly as he found no other doors or windows anywhere. He turned around and watched the Nazis as they ran up and aimed their guns at him, ordering him to give up or be shot. Shrugging, Emcee raised his hands and let himself be arrested.  
  
Sally sat in her seat, looking at the ground, one hand over her racing heart. When she finally calmed down, she realized that she had left Emcee behind, and the train was moving! She stood up and she walked down the lane, heading for one of the doors. One of the ticket collectors stopped her and directed her back to her seat. She sat down, realizing that she was too late to do anything about it now.  
  
bFive Weeks Later/b  
  
The tiny square piece of paper was placed nonchalantly by Emcee, the deliverer being a guard, who could easily be bought with the right mixture of cigarettes and marks. Emcee didn't look up, his eyes the only things moving to indicate the drop off. His eyes turned back to work, his body shifting slightly so that his elbow covered the note calmly. Nothing in his behavior betrayed the excitement in his heart.  
  
When the work was done, Emcee slid one hand over the note as he stood up, and he slipped the paper into his mouth, and under the tongue, trying not to make his mouth too moist as to destroy the words. Once they were back in the barracks, he swiftly went to his bunk and he sat down, taking out the note and unfolding it slowly. He read it over slowly, a slight smile coming to the corners of his mouth. He read it over a few more times to memorize it, and he then folded the note in half. Tearing it in small strips, he had the most amount of food since he came here.  
  
When night fell, the door to the barrack was opened and the guard flickered his flashlight three times on the floor. With that, he walked away, leaving the door open a crack. Emcee slipped out of his bunk and he walked to the door, looking through the crack to see if the coast was clear. Swiftly he slipped outside and he looked around for a moment, before he headed for the east wall, the spot lights barely ever hitting there.  
  
Sally stood on the other side of the barb wire fence, looking constantly over her shoulder. When she turned back around, she gave a soft gasp, taking a slight step back. For a moment, she thought that the wrong person had walked up to her. Emcee was chalk white, and she could easily see every bone in his body. Dark circles were around his eyes, but nevertheless, he smiled at her.  
  
"I was wondering when I would hear from you, liebe." he said. He slipped his fingers through the fencing easily, to touch her hand. "How have you been?" Sally looked at Emcee quietly and she looked at the ground, starting to cry. "What's the matter?" he asked, smiling faintly.  
  
"How can you ask me that? I ran away and left you there with those soldiers! Now look at you; you're so thin!" she said.  
  
"Liebe, I told you to run, remember? And as for how thin I am, I think is makes me look younger don't you agree?" he joked, smiling at her. "Now stop crying. I didn't sneak out to see you weeping like a child. Besides, I could be able to get out. Who knows? Things could be looking up for me." Sally laughed weakly, shaking her head.  
  
"You always try and look on the bright side of things don't you?"  
  
"Always have and always will." Emcee shrugged. "Now back to my first question; how have you been?" he asked.  
  
"I'm working at a bar near Bavaria. I'm making more than what we made at the Cabaret too." she added, with a soft laugh. Looking through her pack, she took out a wrapped up loaf of French bread, and she backed up a bit. "Catch!" She threw it over, into Emcee's waiting hands. "It looks like you could really use this."  
  
"And to think I didn't bring you anything! Danke, Sally." Emcee said, smiling as he placed the bread under one arm. He thought for a moment, and he took from his pocket, the small black bowtie he used to wear in the middle of his suspenders. Smiling, he slipped it into her hand and shrugged. "I suppose this will have to do for now!" He looked over his shoulder, and he saw a light flickering three times. "That's my signal." He turned back to Sally, and he slipped his hand through the fencing, taking her hand into his. "Take care of yourself, mein liebling." he said, squeezing her hand lightly.  
  
"You too." Sally nodded, looking at him worriedly.  
  
"Auf Wiedersehen, mein liebling." Emcee said, raising one arm over his head, as he headed back to the barracks.  
  
The next day, Sally's curiousity got the better of her, and she went back to the camp during the day, to try and catch a glimpse of Emcee. She wore a hooded cloak, keeping her face hidden. She walked along the fence, looking like some village woman collecting wood, as she looked inside. She heard a loud commotion coming from the northern side, and she quickly went there.  
  
She stopped short as she heard harsh German orders, and she quickly hid behind a tree, peaking around it. A large hole had been dug, and inside there were decomposing bodies. Stifling a gag, she continued to watch as soldiers forced some of the prisoners to dump more bodies into the hole. She noted, with some fierce hatred that one of the soldiers was Ernst Ludwig, who shouted the loudest out of the soldiers, striking out with a club.  
  
A cart full of bodies tipped over, spilling out its contents. Sally's eyes grew wide and she was forced to bite her tongue so hard, that she could taste blood in her mouth. One of the bodies, though its face was beaten in and bloody, was that of Emcee's. She backed away slowly, as Ludwig drew his gun, and shot the one who had tipped the cart over, dumping the new addition into the hole. When she was out of hearing distance, she turned and ran as far away as she could.  
  
bForty Years Later/b  
  
Sally came back to the ruins where the camp had once stood, the only reminder of it ever being there being the torn metal fence. Looking around quietly, she went to where she remembered the northern side was. She found the tree where she had hidden behind easily, and she looked to where a large barren piece of earth rested, knowing that was where the mass grave lay.  
  
She walked up slowly, to the very spot where she had seen Emcee's body, before she stopped and looked at the ground. Slowly, she reached into her pocket, and she took out the black bowtie, still looking the same way it had been, forty years ago. Leaning down, she placed the bowtie on the ground, and she used a rock to keep it there. Standing up straight, she stood there, simply looking down at the ground.  
  
"Grandma!" Looking over her shoulder, Sally saw her granddaughter; Gigi, as she ran up, her golden pigtails swinging behind her. "Daddy! I found grandma!" Gigi smiled and ran up beside Sally, looking around quietly.  
  
"Mutter, you shouldn't wander off on your own like that. We almost lost you!" Sally's son; Michael, walked up smiling a bit. As Sally watched Michael walking up, she couldn't help but notice how much he looked like Emcee. His hair was raven black and for some odd reason, or perhaps coincidence, he had it cut the same way Emcee used to cut it. His eyes belonged to his mother's though; despite his father's hair, frame, and high cheek bones.  
  
Michael looked around, and he turned back to his mother. "This was where it happened isn't it?" he asked, remembering the story his mother used to tell him, when she saw that he was old enough for it.  
  
"Yes, it is the exact spot." Sally nodded, sighing softly.  
  
"What happened?" Gigi piped up, tugging on her father's sleeve lightly. Michael softly laughed; (the same way Emcee used to), and he scooped his daughter up, resting her on his shoulders.  
  
"This is where your grandfather rests." he said simply, looking over at his mother quietly. " I'll tell you all about it when you're a little older to understand, liebe." He assured her. He turned back to Sally, a sad smile on his lips. "Ready to go home, mutter?" he asked. Sally took one last look around, before she turned back to Michael, and she took his held out hand.  
  
"Yes, I'm ready to go home." she said softly. Quietly, the three turned and they walked away, heading for the parked car, near the old entrance to the camp. Before she got into the car, Sally looked over to where the mass grave lay. "Auf Wiedersehen, mein liebling." she whispered softly, slipping into the car seat and closing the door. The car backed up slowly, and turned around, heading for the main road. 


End file.
